The Back Up

Regulations regarding the mandatory use of health insurance for specific segments of Saudi Arabian society have evolved over the years. What have been the most important recent regulatory changes, and what are the most important for the upcoming year?

We are expecting to rollout new regulations regarding the addition of mandatory insurance for visitors. In the near future, we are working on the addition of the Saudi domestic workers segment. Furthermore, we are currently working on the CCHI mandate itself in an effort to ensure it is more adaptive to the current changes and future predicted trends in the industry.

What can be done, from a government or regulatory standpoint as well as from the private sector, to further increase the level of penetration within the Kingdom?

As the market follows a steady curve and the industry evolves, the awareness, legislature, and governance will evolve with it. With additional integration between the two sectors, government and private, through the adoption of innovative electronic solutions and systems, integration between the two sectors will make the service more accessible, and, therefore, enable better penetration. At this point in time, it is difficult to determine when we shall see a universal healthcare system in Saudi Arabia. Of course, adopting a universal system is one of the many potential methods to go about this issue; however, at this point it is still early to adopt such a prediction.

What is your overall outlook on the future of the health insurance sector, in regards to sector growth and competitiveness? Can the sector sustain such a number of companies, or will we see mergers and acquisitions over the long term?

There are 28 licensed health insurance companies and TPAs. Our outlook of the health insurance industry is that it is expanding. We believe that the demand on health services and health insurance services in Saudi Arabia will expand 100% in 2019, which is a huge shift that requires a lot of effort and change to both CCHI and the industry players, as well as the overall quality of health insurance companies and providers. We have to implement many changes, and assist the market in adapting these changes in order to maintain and improve quality of the services we offer now; therefore, we believe that the health insurance market can sustain additional companies when it is needed, as this is related to the industry’s maturity stage.

What are the CCHI’s main goals and targets for the upcoming year?

We are transferring the CCHI concept to an e-environment. All of our transactions and documentations will be web-enabled. We are adapting a model of change in our strategy, policy, and structure to cope and expand within the online market. One of the major tools adopted in developing this organization is moving ahead to an e-environment setting.